Volkswagen 'Design Vision GTI' Revealed With Supercar Performance

The big reveal at the annual GTI meet in Wörthersee in Austria has just been uncovered with a very special race-prepped Volkswagen GTI concept that could see track-duty in the very near future.

Based on the all-new 7th generation Golf hot hatch, the Design Vision GTI adds two cylinders and an extra turbo to the factory turbocharged 4-cylinder. This twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 has then been pumped up to produce 503 hp and 413 lb-ft of torque, which hits the ground using a dual-clutch gearbox and all-wheel drive.

Easily enough to transform a standard GTI’s tires to smoke, the concept has been fitted with 235/35/20 front tires and massively wide 275/30/20 rears. With optimal grip, it’s capable of hitting 0-62 mph in just 3.9 seconds – roughly the same as a Lamborghini Gallardo. As for top speed, it’s rated at 300 km/h or 186 mph!

Looking like a Lamborghini inside with its new instruments and generous use of Alcantara, it’s a minimalist approach with as few buttons as possible. Paddle shifters are used to change gears while a redundant center shifter has a racing-inspired design.

Simplistic, it’s also modern, designed to be a race car for a new generation with a large central display with information showing the racing circuit, lap times and information on competitor cars. Those watching the car perform are also given the option of unique in-vehicle and track views thanks to the car’s numerous onboard cameras.

Housing the massive tires is a dramatically wider body that’s almost three inches broader, while the concept is also 2-inches lower overall while being roughly half an inch (15 mm) shorter in length. More than just dimensions, VW says this shows the versatility of the Modular Transverse Matrix (MBQ) architecture shared between this concept and the factory GTI, allowing for the front axle to be moved closer to the front of the car for less overhang.

VW says the, “ratio of height to width in particular indicates that the concept car belongs on the race track,” and even goes so far to announce in a release that Super GTI “could start tomorrow in a racing series!”